Switchfoot's New Release Debuts At #10 On Billboard Top 200

Switchfoot's 10th studio album Where The Light Shines Through debuts at #3 on the Rock, Alternative and Overall Digital Albums charts and #10 on the Billboard Top 200, with more than 29,000 albums sold in the first week. Where The Light Shines Through was produced in collaboration with John Fields, who helmed the multi-platinum breakthrough The Beautiful Letdown.

Where The Light Shines Through marks an important milestone in Switchfoot's successful career. The band’s journey began in 1997 with the first of three indie releases before signing with a major label in 2003. Since then, the San Diego, CA based outfit have sold 5.7 million copies worldwide of their nine studio album. Where The Light Shines Through marks the band's return to the indie world.

Switchfoot will embark on a fall co-headline “Looking for America” Tour with Grammy-nominated alternative rock band Relient
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Katy Perry - Singing Backup for P.O.D. and Dating Relient K Lead Singer?

Pop star Katy Perry wasn't always headlining stadiums - in fact, she first entered the music industry as a Christian artist.

One of her first big TV appearances was as a singer with Christian band P.O.D. on The Tonight Show in 2006.

Footage of that performance has been making the rounds online (watch below), and has been presented by some as P.O.D. with Perry as a 'back-up singer' - a description the band disputes. As guitarist Marcos Curiel said in a statement to Rolling Stone:

"This is revisionist history and disrespectful to our girl Katy who was NEVER a backup singer...We invited her to participate on our record as she was and is still is one of the few pop artists with strong musicianship roots."

The story about Katy Perry & P.O.D. has recently gone viral, but she had another notable interaction with Christian music. In the early 2000s, Katy dated Matthew Thiessen of Relient K.

Perry even made an appearance on stage with the group a few times, such as in her stage diving at a 2003 concert:



Thiessen also found his way into her music. He appears in the demo video for her song "Longshot," playing guitar.




h/t Billboard & New Release Today

Relient K's New Album Currently Tops iTunes Charts

Today is the day that GRAMMY-nominated Relient K releases their seventh LP project, Collapsible Lung (Mono Vs. Stereo), their latest in four years. The album debuts at No. 1 on the iTunes overall album chart, and is also reviewed on USA Today's Listen page, where they also premiered the bonus track, "That's My Jam" featuring Owl City, on its Listen Up page.

USA Today's review shares, "Frontman Matthew Thiessen always a savvy songwriter, has traded the group's animated pop-punk for more contemporary styles. There's a newfound sadness, too, one that sometimes resembles wisdom." To listen to "That's My Jam" on USA Today's Listen page, click here.

Fans will hear the new, and old, Relient K songs on tour with The Almost and The Rocketboys, as well as on select Vans Warped Tour dates.

Relient K Joins Paramore on Tour

Platinum-selling band Paramore is hitting the road in the US from April 26th to May 16th with special guests Relient K.

Not So Innocent?

I've always had only positive thoughts about Relient K, but that's been somewhat tainted recently. Matt broke up with his fiance, which is sad, but made more tragic by her claims that he cheated on her. We all sin and I don't expect him or other Christian artists to be perfect and I typically don't comment on news like this because I want to focus on how Christians are positively impacting culture. However, his apparent reaction leaves something to be desired; plus the news he dated Katy Perry (!) is worth noting.

Relient K Hits Billboard Chart at #15

The latest from GRAMMY® nominated Relient K, Forget and Not Slow Down, debuted at #15 on the Billboard Top 200.